Above The Water
by Xamceron
Summary: What's worse than an inner debate about what will happen when it comes down to you - or your best friend?


Uh... Well... I'm not dead. Yet. Just had some issues... family wise - there's a big divorce going on, and a custody fight... it's not pretty. I've been quite depressed lately, but I'm feeling better and more creative lately, probably 'cause I got my tablet back out of it's box. It was in there 'cause I didn't have a computer to use it on...

Yeah, any computer I touch breaks, I swear. So that's another reason I haven't written anything... Um, I'm sorry about Company of Insanity! I WILL update it soon! I swearz! :3 Anyway, this is just something short that I wrote to try and get that writing mood back... It don't know if I have writing block or just a lack of inspiration. But then again, isn't it the same thing? Hm... Right! Here is something short and depressing. Poor Axel. :(

Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix. For nooow. With all the legal things going on right now, I might learn something. And I would be the first fangirl to succeed this feat evar! Mwuahahahaha! (yeah, totally not gonna happen)

* * *

Footsteps echoed down the blank hallway – white, empty – truly without color – therefor without emotion perhaps was the reasoning behind this.

Keep his faithful minions hoping, as much as they could in their heartless existence, that one day they would be able to live in brighter surroundings, and not feel out of place. But the blanched environment kept them docile, wriggling the thought into their brain that they may just belong here after all.

This psychology stank of the Cloaked Schemer, but it wasn't certain. After all, even though the original six were supposed to apprentices to the great Ansem the Wise, scientists, the only one who seemed to do anything relating to actual physical science was the Chilly Academic. V and VI were more into mind games, avoiding anything to do with chemicals, though they obviously knew their way around the lab by how they complained about what IV was doing.

Axel slammed his fist against the wall to his left.

Nothing was right.

They goal was supposed to be getting their hearts back!

...It never was.

The Flurry of Dancing Flames removed his fist from the wall, leaving a scorched circle behind, and ran his hand down his face.

The Superior… he had told them he would give them purpose… How could he have been so stupid? Purpose, yes, but not in the way he thought.

All these missions… I. wanted to rule the world. Axel had always heard it during meetings, but he had brushed it off. Seen it as another sign that the 'esteemed' leader was insane.

No… How wrong he had been. Under his rule, they would never get back the capability to feel guilty at what they do… To feel at all.

Perhaps that was what the Graceful Assassin was doing when he decided to set in motion a plan he had been laying out for years, in Castle Oblivion.

Axel chuckled, letting his hand drop back to his side with clenched fists.

No, XI would never do something so selfless. Risk his nonexistence to overthrow the current leader of the Organization so that everyone could get their hearts back? Sounded like a freakin' fairytale.

The Assassin had wanted the _power_. He had been perfectly fine without his heart, perfectly content at his lack conscious. It made everything easier, and made him feel like a god. So of course, he wanted more.

The Savage Nymph was just along for the ride. Overthrow the higher-ups in the Organization? Sounded good. Having people obey her every whim, as was done for the Superior already? What was not to like?

You wouldn't have anyone beside you.

The Flurry let his hands relax, only to hit the wall again in frustration.

No one beside you, no one you could trust.

He pounded on the wall, over and over again.

He hadn't wanted the become the Superior, he hadn't wanted power, or any of that!

So why was he now stuck with no one?

Axel stopped, and let his forehead rest against the wall.

Because that no one wanted to be a Someone.

Roxas… he had wanted to know why he had the Keyblade… Why he could control a weapon so cherished among the other members, yet so _threatening_ to them at the same time. Why he had this ability, why the other members whispered when they saw him, why when he turned around the Cloaked Schemer was often there, watching him from the corner of his eye as he supposedly read from his book.

He just wanted to know who he was. Or, _that_ he was. That he wasn't something created in a lab, an idea that had become implanted in his head with no warning. Roxas wanted proof that he was real.

Axel couldn't stop him.

He technically could have, a _million_ times along that dark alleyway, and he had wanted to, so much!

But… he couldn't. What was his right, to take that away from Roxas?

His best friend… his _only_ friend.

Was gone.

VIII took a deep breath.

It shouldn't matter to him anyway. No heart, no feelings, comes with the package, right?

Then why did he feel like there was a lump in his throat? A hand, clenched around his heart, the heart that had abandoned him so long ago?

He knew what it was. He remembered feeling it before, when he was more capable of such things. Back when he was Lea, confident, arrogant and brash _Lea_. Running around town causing havoc with his best friend, _Lea_.

And in a way, he was still that person. But he had a different best friend now, someone he could trust as he had trusted that best friend before. Someone who didn't use him at every turn so he wouldn't have to get his own hands dirty. Someone completely the opposite of VII.

Roxas.

The Key of Destiny.

XIII.

With his bright blue eyes, the kid had caught Axel's eye from day one. After had gotten that dull look out of the kid's eyes, the personality reminded him a lot of someone he knew, back in the day. Someone who looked a lot like him, but wasn't. Axel hadn't really known that Ventus well, but he could tell Roxas was different by the little things. The way he formed his words carefully when speaking about something he wasn't sure about. The way he was careful with his actions first, then suddenly jumping headfirst into something he didn't understand.

Which is why he was gone now.

He had jumped headfirst into something he didn't understand, and Axel couldn't pull him out of the water, it was too deep. And Roxas wouldn't let him. He seemed content with his own drowning.

There was nothing he could do now.

Axel pushed himself off the wall, and began walking down the hallway again, hand trailing on the wall beside him. His gait had changed in the short time it took for a friend to stab you in the back. It was now uneven, tired, not like the confident, jumpy step that had always been associated with him.

He stumbled down the hallway like a broken man, not bothering calling a dark portal that he could just fall through to land on his bed. It wasn't his bed, it wasn't his room. Nothing was right in this castle anymore. It all seemed like a jigsaw with pieces that were jammed together the wrong way.

And the Flurry of Dancing Flames couldn't think of how they were supposed to go. He didn't fit in here, he could tell that much. But how had he not noticed it before? The messed-up puzzle… Why hadn't anyone else noticed how wrong it all was – not even the resident manipulator? No… Something was very wrong. With half the members gone, the balance just wasn't there anymore. There were only a couple of them left now… most of the original six were gone, and everyone were now like sharks, circling each other, aware of how vulnerable they had all become.

The only one who wasn't doing that – at least as noticeably – was the Melodious Nocturne… Perhaps he could help the Flurry… No, he was too weak… He didn't know how to get things done.

Axel was sure he was going to be the first one to go when the Keyblade master was awoken.

Awoken… When that happened, it was too late. Too late to do anything to save Roxas…

Axel bent his head, the cogs in his head turning at an alarming rate.

There had to be something he could do to help his friend… The one person in this whole castle he ever trusted with his life – not even Saix had gotten that honor after what he had changed to, a power hungry monster.

He had to try and get his friend back. Axel knew a true friend would try to help the other by helping along with his quest, but Axel was too selfish. He didn't want to give Roxas up, not yet. The boy, with his large innocent eyes had given up on him already, but he wasn't ready to do the same. He would fight for him!

Even if that meant… helping Roxas with what he wanted – no, needed – to do. But only as a last resort, only if he couldn't convince Roxas back with promises to tell him what he wanted, needed to know.

Axel knew that was what is was going to come to. Guiding Roxas down the path he chose to take, even when it meant turning his back on the one person he should have been able to trust, but had grown suspicious of for various reasons Axel couldn't even remember anymore.

He just wasn't ready to accept that yet. He would, but only at the last moment. He knew it was going to come down to it being either him or Roxas, in all seriousness down that dark path Roxas was going to take.

And Axel would choose Roxas.

Yeah. So that's what he would do. But not if he could help it! He would ignore his knowledge of the future, and try to fight with Fate as long as he could. Deep down, he knew it was useless, that everything would go down exactly as he didn't want it to, but he couldn't sit back and watch. To be able to live with himself that long, he had to know he was trying to change it. Whoever said that you can control your own Destiny was wrong. Fate and Destiny are the same thing – and they both are as solid in their paths.

The only thing Axel could do now was be dragged down the path kicking and screaming.

But eventually he would give in, and help Fate.

If only to hold Roxas up above him as he himself struggled in the water as he always had.

Because… that's what friends do… right?

He lifted his head, eyes narrowed.

He knew what he had to do.

* * *

:(

He knew what he had to do. I guess he was a true friend after all.

Thanks for reading, have a good day! And don't forget to review, it's that button down there! Doesn't eeeveryone like to press buttons? ^^


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